These are my symptoms. What is wrong?

[MirabelM]

For as long as I can remember, I have very little energy beyond going to work as a teacher, sorting out my two kids, house and husband and general day to day stuff. I'm sick of feeling soooo tired. My exhaustion is now affecting my kids and husband.

Symptoms include: fatigue, exhaustion, never waking up refreshed, irritable, very low mood, tearfulness, slow weight gain, brain feels heavy sometimes and cannot juggle thoughts or tasks.

I've had blood taken recently and awaiting results but I'm worried. I'm worried there'll be something majorly wrong but at the same time worried there'll be absolutely nothing physically wrong so I cannot fix it.

Please help. I just feel like crying.

You could be coeliac.

Low iron/ferritin is linked to being coeliac as are all sorts of other deficiencies, such as vitamin D.

Before I was diagnosed I was so utterly exhausted all of the time. When I get glutened now I have such bad brain fog. I am also a teacher!

I would ask to be tested for it.

I felt exactly the same, went to a private GP and the only thing wrong with me was extremely low Vit d it was practically none. I was so sceptical it was the cause but took my 6 week prescription of 50,000 IU once a week and maintenance dose every since and it made a massive difference. Possibly a bit of placebo, who knows but I advise everyone to get their Vit D checked. Hopefully you get some answers and feel better soon!

Probably about a day to get those results back OP. Thyroid tests can take a bit longer if they do things like freeT4.

Have a look at the thyroiduk.org community page. You might get some good advise on there about what to test for.

@MirabelM

Periods are heavy. Was put on contractive pill in November to help with bad PMS and heavy period. Made some difference to PMS but not heaviness.

This sounds just like me and your symptoms are exactly what I've been dealing with the last year. Mine was very low iron due to peri menopausal heavy period which can last up to 14 years if you don't get some treatment. Months or years of heavy periods at our age can deplete us of iron. I'm so glad you got blood work and hope for your sake this is what it is as it's very treatable. They treated me with a blood transfusion and iron infusions (as US citizen, I don't have the lovely NHS so I didn't have dr appointment until I had the money) and now I'm on a treatment of iron supplements. I'm 70% better and the pure exhaustion has lifted. Good luck OP!!!

Be aware that the thyroid blood test range used in the uk is a larger range than used in some other countries, so you might be told your thyroid is fine when it’s not really, that’s why I recommend that community site.

I'm desperate to know. I feel so tired right now. Just had a quick bath and just want to sleep. Head is banging.

Heavy periods suggest anaemia. A steak with spinach and a glass of orange juice wouldn't do you any harm and might cheer you up - remember to wash iron tablets down with orange juice as well.

Vitamin D pills are cheap as chips and a relatively easy fix - pretty much everyone in the UK needs them at this time of year.

And yes, hypothyroidism is very very common in middle aged women, and also a pretty easy fix.

So the good news is that there are several non-sinister, very fixable explanations for your condition.

Also if you are teacher in the state sector look into Beneden, it’s a kind of credit union for health, if your GP refers you to a consultant and the wait is longer than a certain time they will fund private care. It’s not expensive, you don’t have to give any pre-existing health conditions that would be excluded.

It’s excellent for those things that have a long NHS list eg rheumatology or orthopaedic surgery for joint replacements

Some great suggestions on this thread. OP, do you have any root canal treated teeth? If so, get it/them checked out, as when they fail they can do so very quietly and cause a lot of issues that don't necessarily seem serious yet can add up to be quite debilitating.

You have my sincere sympathy

It could be so many things - not wanting to sound unhelpful but realise I probably am - hopefully your bloods will be back soon and it will hopefully eliminate certain conditions

My DH was diagnosed with sleep apnoea a few year back - he literally unbeknownst to him was "waking" literally all the time , had no energy, wait gain, exhausted - is also the lightest sleeper I know

A couple of years ago now having reached my 50s after about 6 months of feeling shattered (I only work part time too & have I child) I went to GPs - they weren't particularly concerned at all - I think they thought menopause (my hair was also coming out more than before) booked me blood tests - the earliest I could get in was 2 weeks later (pre covid) , anyhow I had the test and within 4 hours I was called by GP to go yo Hospital and have it repeated immediately - I did and the results were the same - I was so anaemic and a day later was going transfusions

I ended up with various tests to rule out other things which thankfully came back negative

I hope you get your results soon as you worry until they come - I hope it's good news and something straight forward that can be resolved quickly for you

Btw being a teacher and if you are full time and your kids are small I C am not surprised you are tired

"going to work as a teacher, sorting out my two kids, house and husband and general day to day stuff"

Tbf this sounds exhausting.

Low iron, low b12, high calcium.

I had similar symptoms which all completely disappeared once I started getting treated for sleep apnea. I never snored but was being woken every 2 minutes throughout the night. No wonder I felt anxious and depressed all the time, I was bloody knackered.

Thank you so much everyone.

No root canal treatment. Teeth are about the only things that work!!

I've attached a photo of tests ordered, category with the red dot.

Could be sleep apnoea, underactive thyroid, vit D deficiency, anaemia.

How do you know if you have sleep apnea? I think I only snore if I have a cold.

You haven't said how old you are unless I've missed it?
If tests come back negative if you're over 45 then it sounds like peri.
If under 45 it still could be so don't get fobbed off. Hormone tests for peri are unreliable as the levels will vary every single day.
Re the heavy periods tranexamic acid had been life changing for me. I believe it's available otc. It only works if you take it though so don't take one then wonder why your period is heavy again 4 hrs later. I take it for about 3 days of my period and can get away with a small tampon very 8 hrs.

All your symptoms sound like underactive thyroid. I have thyroid disease and have long periods of under activity and have all these symptoms. The poor brain function is the worst symptom imo. More generally you feel like everything is shutting or slowing down.

Be aware that it took feeling unwell for many many months before my bloods were where they needed to be for diagnosis.

And GPs don't always test everything they need to rule out thyroid disease. For example to rule out central hypothyroidism you need to test FT4 as well as TSH. Often only TSH is tested. My FT4 indicated a thyroid issue about 8/9 months before my TSH went out of range!

You also may have multiple issues going on. Thyroid issues cause vitamin deficiencies. Particularly ferritin, folate, b12 and d. That's because hypothyroidism can cause low stomach acid and therefore poor absorption of nutrients. Hypothyroidism also causes heavy periods which depletes iron and can cause low ferritin. Deficiencies in all those nutrients can cause symptoms overlapping with low thyroid.

It's a really complicated and controversial area with lots of under treatment and lots of misdiagnosis.

I'd therefore suggest once you get your results post them with ranges on the Thyroid U.K. forum on Health Unlocked. You'll get lots of great support and advice there.

healthunlocked.com/thyroiduk

Hello OP - I had those exact symptoms and got diagnosed with Lupus SLE. Definitely worth asking for this to be tested x

I would almost guarantee some kind of hormonal issue

Any stretch marks. Weight gain excessive? Tight skin?

Water retention? Menopause? Periods regular?

First off. I’d check cortisol. ACTH. Thyroid. B12. Vitamin d. Might check IGF-1.

I’d do iron panel. Folic acid. Few other things.

I’d do a full blood panel.

WHats your BP?

If you’ve got those results. Let me know.

Ahh. Yes I see me and your dr have the same ideas

Let us know the results please. PM me if you’d like.

@MirabelM

How do you know if you have sleep apnea? I think I only snore if I have a cold.

You have to have a sleep study, You get rigged up to a bit of equipment that measures your breathing, oxygen levels, heart rate etc while you sleep.

@MirabelM

41

I just want to feel better.

Not sure what bloods have been order d tbh and don't think menopause was really discussed. It has crossed my mind.

Another symptom I forgot was hair thinning and coming out on brush.

Sounds like my iron deficiency anaemia symptoms. (I also have an obsession to crunch ice)

Exhaustion

Taught for 14 years, loved it but now as a SAHM my stress levels are down and I’m sure a lot of it was workload